Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Hatchetfield FM took a sudden break from blaring relentlessly cheery Christmas music to cut to an ad break. A warm, kindly sounding Southern accent addressed the listeners with the following message:

“Well hey there y’all, I’m Aunt Holly, and I’m pleased as punch to tell you all about a dear friend of mine, Weavin’ Webby! This little lady comes with beautiful real hair that you can brush with a comb, three different weaving patterns that you can attach to her built-in loom and an additional fashion collection, each outfit retailing for $19.99 each! Weavin’ Webby is a steal at only $49.95, pick her up at your local mall today. Why, Black Friday is comin’ up, why don’t y’all head on down to your mall for the sales? Aunt Holly is sure that your parents’ll be happy to-‘

Alice Woodward turned off the radio with an annoyed sigh. Turning to her girlfriend Deb, the teenager asked:

“Is it just me or are fashion dolls suffering a serious downgrade in quality? I mean, when we were little these dolls came with additional outfits, pets, cute little gimmicks, what’s this Weaving Webby got that Happy Families Midge didn’t? You could just take off the stomach and boom, there was a baby!”

Deb snickered before replying:

“Yeah, if I were a kid I wouldn’t be happy with a doll that comes with a loom when I could have a fairy unicorn or stuff like that. Oh, and did you hear that Barbie’s a vlogger now? She makes little videos on YouTube, doing actual challenges and stuff. Creepiest shit I’ve ever seen, and I’ve watched a lot of horror.”

In response, Alice smirked as she processed a vlogging Barbie, then she quickly sobered as she threw her arm around her girlfriend and warned her:

“We shouldn’t be disgracing the good names of Barbie and Weaving Webby in front of little Hannah. She probably wants one of those dolls more than anything, it’s like the hottest toy of the year.”

Deb sighed and sipped her latte before asking:

“Babe, it’s Christmas time in Hatchetfield, why aren’t we out there having fun? We could go ice skating, or watch a cheesy Christmas movie like that new Santa Claus Is Going To High School cringe fest, but instead we’re hanging out with Lex Foster and her little sister of all people, when she was the one who abandoned us once Ethan broke up with her- still don’t know what she saw in him.”

Alice tugged on a lock of her hair (something she always did when she was nervous) and sincerely reminded Deb:

“Lex is one of my oldest friends. She was devastated when Eth broke it off, and she hasn’t texted me in so long. I just wanna hear her out, she deserves that at least. Besides, isn’t Christmas all about good will?”

Deb wasn’t quite sure, but she knew that Alice had been heartbroken when Lex stopped talking to her, and she hated to see her girlfriend so nervous, so she took the pink-clad teenager’s hand and said:

“Okay, I’ll give it a shot.”

With this decided, the pair got out of their car (well, Bill Woodward’s car - he had been on the fence about lending it to them but Alice had promised to make it up to her dad at a later date) and headed to the door of the Foster family’s trailer. Ever since Pam Foster had passed away a year ago, Lex Foster had been raising her little sister all on her own. That had probably contributed to her stress and sorrow when Ethan broke up with her, and it had definitely affected Hannah, the younger Foster sister, because she and Ethan had been very close. Still, despite all the changes that had occurred in the past year, surely the two would welcome Alice and Deb with open arms, right?

Alice Woodward announced her presence with a hesitant knock at the door, and immediately, an exhausted Lex Foster greeted them, looking extremely annoyed. All she said was:

“You’re late.”

Deb awkwardly replied:

“It’s 07:30-‘

Lex snapped:

“Yeah, and I said 6, but I guess you had to stop at Starbucks- did you get me anything?”

Alice and Deb glanced at each other guiltily. In their rush to get out the door, they’d completely forgotten to get a latte or some other hot drink for Lex, focussing solely on themselves. The looks on the two teenagers’ faces must have been enough of an answer because Lex sighed and ushered them in, where the two girls found Hannah sitting on the couch, rewatching old episodes of My Little Pony. When Hannah caught sight of them, she grinned, surprised to see two of her sister’s old friends again after all this time. She cheerfully called out:

“Hi Al, hi Deb! So great to see you guys!”

She was more familiar with Alice, since the Woodward girl had babysat her a few times when Lex had needed to pick up a few extra shifts at work, but she knew Deb in passing. To be honest, Hannah was a little scared of Deb, because one time when she was walking home from school, she saw the teen push a boy named Richie Lipschitz against a fence when he awkwardly tried (and failed) to hit on her.

Alice rushed up to Hannah and gave her a massive hug, just like she’d always done whenever she’d babysat, before saying:

“Hey, Han! I’m so sorry it’s been such a long time, and I can’t believe we missed Thanksgiving! But don’t worry, I’ve got leftovers, DVDs, board games, everything you need for a belated turkey day!”

Hannah smiled, pleased by this news, and was about to say just that when Lex said:

“Great, seems like you’ll have a good time then. Traffic seems good so I shouldn’t be gone for long, meaning that you guys’ll only need to watch Hannah for a couple of hours.”

Alice’s heart sank. She glanced over at Deb, who now looked considerably frustrated at this turn of events but remained calm for Hannah’s sake. Eventually, Alice concluded out loud:

“Oh, so we’re not catching up, we’re babysitting?”

Lex gave her old friend a semi-apologetic look as she explained:

“Sorry Al, my hands were tied - Grace Chasity offered her services but there’s no way I’m letting that nerdy prude near Hannah, I’m not that cruel.”

Hannah also looked frustrated. She stood up from the couch and approached her sister as she said:

“I thought we were all gonna spend time together. Where’re you going? Why can’t I come?”

Lex sighed and ruffled her little sister’s hair, causing the younger girl to frown, as she explained:

“Well, Banana, Nora- y’know, my boss at Beanies- needs me to pick up some soy milk for the shop, and nobody else can do it- Emma’s investing in a farm with her new boyfriend Paul and Zoey’s auditioning for some beauty pageant thing. It would just be too dull for you, that’s all, so I thought you could have some fun with Alice and Deb instead.”

Hannah’s eyes welled up with tears as she retorted:

“Yeah, that’s real important!”

And she stormed off as her sister called after her. Raking a hand through her own hair, Lex turned to Alice with an exasperated expression, only to be met with a look of disappointment as the teen asked:

“Really? A soy milk run? Doesn’t Beanies get deliveries of that stuff? What are you hiding, Lex? Wait, are you in the Smoke Club again? If you’re abandoning Hannah to run off with the Smoke Club I swear that-‘

Lex immediately protested, explaining in hushed tones:

“It’s nothing like that, of course I’m not in the Smoke Club again! I just had to come up with something so that I didn’t ruin the surprise for Hannah’s Christmas present!”

Stepping closer to Deb and Alice, Lex continued, whispering conspiratorially:

“I’m getting her one of those dolls with the loom and stuff - Hannah loves crafts, she’ll love it.”

Deb nodded approvingly, but Alice couldn’t hold in her approval as she excitedly asked, at a loud volume:

“Holy shit Lexy, you’re getting Hannah a Weaving Webby?! It must’ve taken you so long to buy one, I heard they sold out practically the minute they released!”

Lex looked confused as she furrowed her brow and said:

“Nah, I haven’t bought one yet, just got the money together yesterday, but I’m getting there before Toyzone even opens so I should be able to nab one.”

Whilst Alice tried to come up with a tactful response, Deb blurted out:

“Lex, I hate to break it to you but you’ve been shut in this trailer for far too long. At this rate you’d be lucky to walk out with an empty box for one of those dolls, maybe an outfit pack for one of Hannah’s Barbies if you’re lucky. You left it far too late.”

Lex’s expression was suddenly downcast. In a sorrowful murmur, she muttered:

“Ethan would’ve made sure I’d done it. He’s much better at time-keeping, and he adored Hannah so he’d have helped me get that doll if he’d known she wanted it. And if mom was still alive then I could’ve gone out and bought it whilst knowing that my sister was relatively safe here, but instead I’ve just messed it all up again, and I’ve ruined our first Christmas alone…”

Now, Alice was a people pleaser, and she really didn’t want her friend to be upset like this, and it was probably her next words that set the event of that fateful Black Friday into motion. Placing a comforting hand on Lex’s shoulder, Alice told her:

“Hey, they’re bound to have more stock for Black Friday, that Aunt Holly lady on the radio practically said so, so it’s still worth going down to Toyzone to check it out.”

The older Foster girl seemed relieved until Deb burst her bubble with a pointed:

“The store opens in twenty minutes.”

Lex let out an almost inaudible ‘oh shit’ before rushing out the door, slamming it in her panicked frenzy. Alice and Deb looked at each other, bemused looks on each of their faces as Alice attempted to call Hannah into the living room and Deb put a dvd on.

Chapter Text

Tim Houston had always been seen as a ‘weird’ kid. He had five imaginary friends - a pig, a slime creature, a green octopus, a one-eyed monster and a yellow goat - and he would talk to them every day. According to Tim, these ‘friends’ would often give him advice. Not always sensible advice, but advice nonetheless. This advice would manifest itself in ‘prophecies’, just like the prophecy that the boy was muttering as his father unpacked a box of new stock at Toyzone:

“Bad blood. Holloway. Two doors, not one…”

Tom Houston looked up from his task with a heavy sigh. Ever since his wife had died, the man couldn’t bear to part from his young son, so he’d often bring him to his workplace - Toyzone, the only decent toy store in Hatchetfield - to sit in the back rooms and play with excess products. He loved his little boy, obviously, but Tom couldn’t help but be worried. His son had no friends his own age, and ever since Jane passed, these ‘prophecies’ were becoming more and more frequent. Tim would wake up sobbing from nightmares, screaming about the end of the world and dark days coming. Whenever this happened, Tom would hold his son close and remind them of their shared dream - going to California to find better lives.

As Tim muttered his latest prophecy, Tom sat down beside him and stroked his son’s hair, asking:

“How’re you doing, bud?”

Tim looked up at him but said nothing, so Tom tried again, clearing his throat before asking a different question:

“Is today a good day or a bad day?”

Tim whispered back:

“Bad day.”

Tom sighed again, wishing he could comfort Tim, but Jane was the one who’d been a psychologist, he was just a teacher, and he wasn’t even that anymore because he’d lost his job after taking too much time off for his ‘family emergency’ (at least Toyzone had decent pay). Still, the man tried to smile and injected a sense of joy into his tone as he replied:

“Hey, today can’t be as bad as all that, right? I mean, I’ve got my hands on the hottest toy of the year, that Weaving Webby thing. And what I’m thinking is that if we find a buyer for a couple of these babies, or maybe even just one of ‘em, we could finally go to…”

Tim finished for him with a much more enthusiastic:

“California!”

Tom grinned and confirmed:

“Yep, California! So if Beck and I can find a buyer-‘

Before Tom could explain more, Becky Barnes entered the back rooms, straight from her job at the hospital, exhausted but happy. She was wearing a faded denim jacket, filled with badges (including a mysterious one reading ‘SK’, whatever that means). Tom turned from Tim to look up at his girlfriend with a relieved grin as he greeted her with a soft:

“Hey, Beck, how was work?”

Becky smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek as she replied:

“It was okay, I’m glad to be finished for the day though. My boss gave me time off so I could be here today.”

Then the redhead’s eyes landed on Tim, and greeted him with an equally enthusiastic:

“Hi Tim, how’re you feeling today?”

Tim gave the woman a shy smile and answered her question with a quiet:

“Hi Miss Becky, I’m doing okay, I thought it was a bad day but it might actually be a good day.”

Becky’s smile grew as she enthused:

“You bet it’s a good day, because today is the day that we’ll finally make it out of Hatchetfield for good, isn’t that great? I’ve put aside some of my salary, and your dad’s done the same, but one of these dolls will help us to find a little place to stay once we make it to Cali.”

Then she turned to Tom and continued:

“Speaking of which, Tom? I’ve found a guy who’s willing to pay seven.”

Tom’s eyes widened as he asked:

“$700 for a doll?”

Becky’s grin widened impossibly as she elaborated:

“No, seven thousand.”

It was at this moment that Tom broke a cardinal rule and swore in front of Tim as he joyously yelled:

“Seven fucking thousand?! We’re set!”

All three people in the room celebrated this revelation - they would have good lives from now on. People always said that you never leave Hatchetfield, but with all of this money combined, they could find good jobs, Tim could go to a good school, and the three of them could finally be happy. Once their celebration had subdued, Tom reached into the box of Weaving Webbys and pulled out a doll, careful not to damage the packaging. He wasn’t quite sure what do with the doll once he’d procured it, far too caught up in the idea of the scheme to consider the logistics. Finally, after helplessly searching the room, Tom’s eyes fell upon his son’s backpack.

He felt awful for even considering this, but if this would ensure that his son had a good future in a more stable environment, Tom was willing to do anything to make this dream come true. He knelt down beside Tim and hesitantly asked:

“Hey, bud? Could you help me out today? You’d have a really important job, and you’ll get ice cream or comic books or an extra hour of tv time, whatever you want, when we’re done.”

Tim mulled this over in his mind, then nodded, asking:

“Sure, what’ve I gotta do?”

Tom smiled and explained:

“I just need to store this doll in your backpack for a few hours until we can meet with the buyer-‘

Tim cut him off with a panicked:

“No! My friends said that the doll is bad, my backpack is bad, it’s all bad!”

Tom and Becky looked at each other, shocked at Tim’s outburst. The man didn’t know what to do, but Becky seemed to have an idea. Shrugging off her jacket, Becky kneeled down on the opposite side to where Tom was kneeling and held out her jacket to Tim, showing it to him as she murmured:

“See this jacket, Tim? It was given to me by a great warrior, and it can ward off any danger you can think of. Anything bad or scary can’t get you as long as you’re wearing this jacket, and I’m willing to give this to you, just for today, if you promise to keep the doll safe for us. Seems like a fair trade?”

For a moment, Tim considered the jacket. Then he closed his eyes, as if conferring with his ‘friends’. After a long silence, the boy opened his eyes and nodded, taking the jacket with a polite ‘thank you’, putting it on before gently placing the Weaving Webby doll into his backpack. Once he felt assured that their plan was set in motion, Tom decided to get back to work, and as he wandered out into the main mall, he bumped into a familiar figure. The girl was wearing a hoodie and looked frantic as she asked:

“Hey can I leave my car parked outside?”

Before Tom could answer, he made eye contact with the girl and realised who she was.

“Lex Foster? Is that you?”

Raising a surprised eyebrow, Lex replied:

“Mr Houston? From shop class? What’re you doing here?”

Tom gestured at his uniform, making sure the logo was visible as he clarified:

“I’m working. What about you? Shopping for Hannah?”

Lex nodded before a plan formed in her mind. In a sugary sweet tone, Lex said:

“Yeah, and y’know what? You were actually my favourite teacher, Mr Houston, I was so sad to hear that your wife passed away. Could you maybe please do a small favour for me? Y’see, my sister wants one of those Weaving Webby dolls, and-‘

Tom cut her off with an unimpressed:

“You want me to keep one back for you so you can take it home to your sister instead of waiting in line like all the other customers?”

Lex began to grin, but that happiness faded as Tom crossed his arms and shook his head, saying in a monotone:

“Not gonna happen, I actually like my job. My boss is an asshole who is honestly just like Mr Krabs- my son Tim had a huge SpongeBob phase- but it pays decent and Tim has a whale of a time playing with the defects and spare products, so I’m not gonna put it on the line for a former student, sorry Lex.”

Lex looked like she wanted to retaliate, but just as she opened her mouth to yell or whatever it was she was going to do, Tom pointed out:

“Hey, is anyone holding your spot in line?”

Lex’s eyes widened, and Tom suppressed a laugh as the teen immediately bolted in the other direction. Sometimes working in retail had objectively funny moments like this, a small blessing in an otherwise challenging and monotonous job.

————————————————————

As Lex raced to the line outside of Toyzone (which was now backed up to Nordstrom), she tried to keep a clear mind - she had a goal, and she would be damned if she didn’t present Hannah with this doll for Christmas. The teen was so absorbed by her goal that she didn’t even notice when she collided with the next person in line. As Lex became more aware of her situation, her breath hitched as she saw a familiar leather jacket. In a shaking voice, she asked:

“Ethan?”

Confused, Ethan Green turned around, mouth agape in shock when he saw his ex.